Natsu
by smile-lifegoeson
Summary: April 11 is Natsu Appreciation Day! Feeling left out, Natsu wonders around town to find something to do. But he gets sent on his own mission by his guild mates and winds up finding out just how much he means to them.
Good Afternoon :) Today is April 11th, and it's Natsu Appreciation Day! I almost forgot about it and I came up with this on the spot. But I'm very pleased with it :) Hope you like it!

Natsu is my absolutely favorite character in all of Fairy Tail. He's strong, smart, funny, loyal, brave, and so much more. He deserves so much more than one day, and I hope my fic proves that :) _  
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 _Fairy Tail_ and it's characters belong to Hiro Mashima

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Natsu kicked a lose stone on his way home. No one wanted to go on a mission today. He was all fired up this morning and ready to go beat up some bad guys, but everyone was busy.

The moment he walked into the guild Gray had run off saying he had errands to do and he wanted to leave before Juvia saw him. Juvia left right after him, following him.

Erza he didn't bother, she ws eating her cake and "I'm not thinking about Jellal" face on.

Wendy and Carla had gone a mini-mission with Happy in town, the little traitor.

Levy was talking in some weird language to Lily, and Gajeel was pretending to understand. He growled at Natsu when he got close.

Laxus ignored his rants about fighting. The Thunder Legion followed his lead.

Master Makarov told him to go alone, but that was no fun.

Gildarts had left on some mission a while back.

Mira, Lisanna, and Elfman were busy behind the bar. Mira shooed him away when he asked what.

The rest of the guild ignored him. Cana tried to get him to drink with her, but the last time he did that he woke up with everyone angry at him.

So he left, face buried in his scarf to hide his frown. He decided to go to Lucy's, she always cheered him up.

Grinning, he jumped up to her always open window and landed on her bed.

"YO LUCY!" he hopped to the floor and looked around, "LET'S GO ON A MISSION!"

But the apartment was quiet, no screams of 'GET OUT'. No wails of 'QUIT BARGING IN' or 'COME IN THROUGH THE DOOR'.

She wasn't home.

"Man," he raised one hand to hold his scarf, sitting on her soft bed, "guess I'll just wait."

He laid down on the pink bed and tried to sleep, only to be plagued by nightmares of him being left alone again and again.

Sitting up in a cold sweat, he covered his eyes with his scarf. Wiping his face, he turned around and fell into Lucy's pillow, allowing her familiar scent to lure him into a calm state.

He heard a crinkling sound as he buried himself deeper in the fluffy pillow.

"What's this?" he held up a letter with his name on it.

 _Natsu,_

 _This is the place where you and I caught our very first fish together. It's special to me, and I hope it is to you too. Come find me!_

And instead of name, it was a paw print. Happy's paw print.

"..the hell?" he knew exactly where he was supposed to go, he just wasn't sure _why_.

Leaving Lucy's apartment via window, he made his way to the large pond just outside of Magnolia. He and Happy had been fishing there since he hatched out of his egg. He had fished there since he moved to this town, but his first catch wasn't until he had Happy.

No one was at the pond, but a fishing pole was lying right on the bank. And where the hook was supposed to hold a fish, it was a letter instead.

 _Natsu,_

 _Remember when that circus guild came to town when we were kids? We followed that one card wizard around for three days straight to see if he was better than me. If you remember the spot where we finally got him to stop and play against me (and lose!), you'll find yer next clue._

 _Cana_

"Clue? Clue for what?" he put the second letter with Happy's, the strong smell of booze lingered on it.

"Where did we get him to stop.." he started to walk towards town, finally smirking, "the bath house!"

He ran all the way there, his mood from earlier all but gone as he went on his own mission.

"Yosh! Gotcha!" right outside the sign for the bath was a empty wine bottle with the next letter under it.

 _Natsu,_

 _when we were kids we hung out in the forest a lot! that's where we stayed trying to get your egg to hatch. we had some great times out there. I'm sure you know what i'm talking about, you'll find your next clue in our hut!_

 _Lisanna_

He smiled, Lisanna was his closest friend as a kid. Of course he knew what she was talking about. He grimaced as he thought of some of the things she joked about though, like _marriage_. It was ridiculous! Like he was ever going to get married.

The image of a smiling blonde entered his thoughts, but he quickly shook his head and ran straight for the forest, _"Leave that kinda thinking alone. She wants a prince, she doesn't like you like that."_

But it didn't stop him from caring about her as strongly as he did. No matter how she looked at him, she would always be his to protect and cherish. And to bother the hell out of but that was just a plus.

Jogging to a stop in front of Lisanna's 'grave', he found his next letter. Tearing it open he frowned when he read it.

 _Flame Brain,_

 _Go to the spot where I kicked your ass for the first time to find your next clue._

 _Gray_

"That bastard," he crumpled up the note and threw it on the ground. About to run off, he quickly picked up the letter and stuffed it with the rest. Ice Princess or not, he wanted to keep it.

Sliding down the hill to the river side, he found a box with the Fairy Tail insignia on it.

 _Natsu,_

 _you've been a pain in my side since you joined the guild. But I wouldn't have it any other way._

 _Head to the Rainbow Sakura tree for your next and final clue._

 _Master_

Taking off, he wondered what all these clues were for.

 _"Can't be anything good, knowing all these weirdos,"_ he smirked as he quickly scooted around people to get to the special tree that he dug up for Lucy - not that he would _ever_ admit it.

Staring up at the largest tree in the middle, he thought of all the amazing things that had happened here. If Lucy would have been able to come last time it would have been even better.

"Last clue, wonder who it is," it was nailed to the tree, and the wind was telling him it was his favorite person who left it.

 _Natsu,_

 _If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even be in Fairy Tail. I would still be in my fathers mansion, miserable and alone. None of the amazing things that have happened in my life would have all been wishful thinking if it wasn't for you dragging me along._

 _So come to the place where you brought me home, we have a surprise for you._

 _Lucy_

A goofy grin covered his tan cheeks. Bringing Lucy back was the best decision of his life.

"Yosh!" he took off running to Fairy Tail. The closer he got to the legendary guild hall the more anxious he became, and more tense. What if this was all a big prank? What if they did all this and all he was getting was a fist in the face?

"Whatever!" he picked up his speed, "I'm all fired up!"

Bursting through the guild hall doors he yelled, "I'M HOME! WHAT THE HELL ARE ALL THESE CLUES FOR?!"

"Happy Birthday, Natsu!"

Everyone was there. Gray and Juvia, Erza, the Strauss siblings, Wendy and Carla, Happy, Levy, Gajeel and Lily, Laxus and the Thunder Legion, gramps, Macao and Wakaba, Cana..

"Gildarts!" Natsu smiled, he couldn't believe it.

"Like I was gonna miss the biggest bash of the year," the powerful wizard ruffled up the fire dragons hair.

"Bash?"

"Your birthday!" Happy flew into his bare chest, "Well, the day we're celebrating anyway."

"Come on! I've got a nice and spicy meal for you!" Mira pointed to the table in the center.

Natsu's mouth watered at the site, Cana thrust a mug of Fire Whiskey into his hand, "How'd ya like yer mission?"

"What mission?"

"You went around town and saw places that meant something to people because you were there," Wendy told him as she smiled brightly at him, "there would have been more but we didn't have time."

He blinked a few times before realizing, yeah, he did go to all those places that held good memories. And the best ones were in this very building.

"Yeah," he smiled into his scarf.

"We have some gifts for you as well, but we'll get to them later," Erza smacked him on the back, painfully, wishing him a good day.

The guild got wild as usual, but not as crazy. Natsu sat at the table and scarfed down his more than delicious meal. He was chugging his 3rd mug of Fire Whiskey when Lucy sat next to him.

"Happy Birthday, Natsu."

Holding the beverage in his cheeks he smiled at her, causing her to cringe but trying to keep the smile on her face.

Natsu swallowed so he could laugh, Lucy giggled with him.

"Thanks," he pushed his plates away, "even though I'm not sure when my birthday really is."

"Happy said that Igneel always celebrated on the first day of summer, so we'll do that too."

"Yosh! He did! Said that sense my name meant summer and that I was just as a bright that's when he would celebrate me!"

Lucy softened her gaze as he talked about Igneel, he became so much more vibrant as he did. He became as bright as his fire when he talked about his adoptive father.

"Oh right," Lucy begun to dig in her purse, "I have your gift!"

Natsu's cheeks pinked at the thought of her actually giving him something, "You don't have to do that Lucy.."

"Well, I wanted to," she handed him a small box with a red bow on it.

Grinning his famous grin, "Thanks a million Lucy!" He opened the box slowly, and his blinked when he saw what was inside.

"A key? This is your thing Lucy, not mine," he handed her the box, slightly disappointed, but she just laughed and pushed it back to him.

"It's not a Gate Key, it's a house key," she shyly picked at her skirt, "a key to my apartment. You practically live there, you should at least have a key. Not that you'll actually use it since you always come in through the window.."

Natsu felt his whole body burn, and not with it's normal fire. A new kind of fire. He liked it, he wanted more of it. And the longer he stared at Lucy's blushing cheeks the hotter it got.

He put the key in his pocket alongside the notes. Putting his hand ontop of her her golden head and smiled at her, "Thanks Lucy. That really means a lot to me."

Lucy smiled, but before she could say anything more..

"GRAY! FIGHT ME! YOU KNOW THAT'S WHERE I KICKED _YOUR_ ASS THE FIRST TIME!"

"LIKE HELL IT IS YA DAMN PYRO!"

And there they went, another Fairy Tail brawl. Juvia was cheering on the sidelines and picking up Gray's discarded clothes. The rest of the guild watched and laughed together, this was normal for all of them.

Lucy shook her head, sighing. She was trying to have a moment with him and he went and ruined it.

 _"Well,"_ she watched him cackle at Gray when his boxers got burned off, " _I guess I shouldn't say ruined. After all, this is his day. He should spend it the way he wants. If he's happy, I'm happy."_

This is what Natsu lived for. Fighting, breathing fire, having a good time at Fairy Tail, being with his friends.. his life was much fuller than he ever imagined. He glanced around the room at everyone who had showed up for him. For _him_. He was lucky.

Smirking, he yelled, " **I'M ALL FIRED UPPP!"**

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Natsu is a precious, precious soul and we must protect him and keep him happy and loved :) hope you enjoyed!


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